The Los Angeles fires have now disrupted a major Hollywood event asOscarnominations get pushed back. California has regularly had problems with forest fires over the past few years, with the latest round of conflagrations occurring in 2025. Between the five fires currently burning,over 28,000 acres of land have been engulfed in flames. This has destroyed over 1,000 buildings and will continue to do so as containment remains low. Hollywood is in the path of the fires, thus affecting operations of productions that do work in that region.
PerVariety,the fires have now delayed Oscar nominations. The Oscars voting window officially opened yesterday, January 8, for the Academy’s nearly 10,000 members, and was originally supposed to close on January 12. Now, the voting window will close on January 14. As such, the nomination announcement, which was supposed to occur on Friday, January 17, will nowoccur on Sunday, January 19. More information surrounding the plan for this announcement is yet to come. The Academy also released a compassionate statement, reading:
We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California. So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.
What This Means For The Oscars
This Is Just The Latest Hollywood-Related Event To Be Altered
Functionally, this voting and nominations shift should not change the Oscars in the longer term. The ceremony, which will be hosted by Conan O’Brien, is set to air on Sunday, March 2, giving a wide berth for the fires to get under control before this live broadcast. In the short term, however, this may change the way theOscar nominationsare typically presented. While the nominations are typically announced in a live broadcast in the morning,the Academy could change plans to a press release,following the lead of the Screen Actors Guild’s recent announcement pivot.
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However the Oscars themselves proceed, they are far from the only Hollywood happening affected by the fires. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Prime Video’sFalloutseason 2would have to delay filming due to the wildfires. Several in-person film premieres in LA have also had to be yanked from the calendar, includingBetter Man,Unstoppable, andWolf Man. The Critics' Choice Awards, which were supposed to be held on January 12, are now taking place on January 26. This makes the Oscar nominations just the next of the fires' effects on the industry.
Our Take On The Oscar Nominations Being Pushed
Hollywood Will Continue To Be Affected
Given the devastation that the fires have caused, it is surprising that theOscarnomination window will not have to be pushed even more. Academy-voting celebrities such as Billy Crystal have had their homes destroyed by the fires, and countless others may be affected in the coming days as things spread. As fires become an increasing issue in California,the film industry will have a lot to reckon with.
The Oscars
Cast
The Oscars, first held in 1929, is an annual American awards ceremony honoring achievements in the film industry. Winners across multiple categories receive a statuette officially named the Academy Award of Merit, commonly known as the Oscar.
